Healthy, High Performance Building
Champion Nominees
Entrepreneurs for Sustainability
November 2005

• Deirdre McDonnell *winner*
• Deirdre McDonnell
• Mark Holbrecht
• Mark Holbrecht
• Andy Kundmueller
• Mike Merle
• Bill Oatey

*winner* Champion: Deirdre McDonnell, Atlas Architectural Services *winner*
Nominated by: Gary Cole, Blue Sky Energy
Deirdre McDonnell’s business is one of the most sustainable oriented businesses in the area. She provides consulting services as ‘owner’s representative’ to people who are having a significant institutional or commercial construction project done for themselves. She has a tremendous knowledge of the various possibilities of sustainability from social implications in master planning of the usage of a site and a building, to the formal green building principles. With this in mind, she provides guidance to clients from beginning to end of the design and construction process assuring foremost that the client gets what they want and at the timeline and budget that they want, but always introducing sustainable possibilities in a timely and thorough manner.
Her contribution to large picture of implementation of sustainable practices is huge though her business. She carries a license in architecture, is LEED accredited, and ask her to see her poster she made as a child illustrating the ecosystem interrelatedness. It shows how far back awareness of sustainability has been in her thinking.

*winner* Champion: Deirdre McDonnell, President, Atlas Architectural Services *winner*
Nominated by: Deborah, Ruffing Montessori School
Deirdre McDonnell has a contagious passion for sustainability. Deirdre has inspired the Ruffing Montessori School community - our staff, faculty and especially our students - to embrace the opportunities that extend sustainability beyond bricks and mortar.
Deirdre McDonnell has worked with Ruffing Montessori School as our Owner`s Representative throughout an extensive campus redevelopment project since May 2005. While Ruffing has always considered itself to be "environmentally responsible," Deirdre`s passion and expertise on high performance building techniques and incorporating "green" into our curriculum have shown us we can do so much more in our quest to be a good global citizen and a model for other schools. With Deirdre`s expertise and guidance, she is helping Ruffing to become a living laboratory. Our building and grounds are becoming teaching tools where learning extends beyond walls and provides enormous potential for students to connect what they are learning in the classroom to the real world. In large part because of Deirdre, at Ruffing Montessori School we are doing as much as we possibly can with our own little corner of the universe to be a champion of "green" buildings and sustainability, and to send our students into the world as messengers of sustainability.

Champion: Mark Hoberecht
Nominated by: Marcia Wolff, Owner, Design Council
It has been my pleasure to know, work with and be inspired by Mark Hoberecht for the past 6 years. We met at a CBGC meeting on sustainable architecture in 1999 where he inspired me with tales of strawbale building. I was hooked, and he has supported me, taught me, and worked by my side on our sustainable journey. He has done the same for others in promoting and implementing strawbale construction and design. All of this without much remuneration. He has given much of his time and himself to this endeavor.
It has been a labor of love.
So for all he has done for me and for others and his tireless journey to learn and share more (he`s at another seminar on sustainability (far from home) as we speak... I nominate for your consideration of Sustainbility Champion: Mark Hoberecht.

Chamion: Mark Hoberecht
Nominated by: Deirdre R. McDonnell, Atlas Architectural Services
The following is my nomination for Mark Hoberecht for the Green Building Award.
When it comes to patience and perseverance, Mark Hoberecht shines. In this ever reluctant Midwest arena Mark has taken what began as a personal interest in strawbale design and construction and made it into a ever growing business. When just a few years ago doubts and questions were stacked against him, today his project calendar is booked for years to come. Mark is not what one would call a "mover and shaker" - let`s admit it, there are too many of those as it is. What Mark is, on the other hand, is one person that is wholly committed to make his world, this world, more sustainable. And if he can design and build a few strawbale homes along the way, well then all the better."

Champion: Andy Kundmueller, Day & Night Solar Light
Nominated by: Bill Oatey, Oatey Co.
Oatey Co. learned about the Core Group and met Andy Kundmueller a few years ago while researching lighting options for our new distribution warehouse. We installed some of the Core Group systems into our existing manufacturing facility first as a trial. The natural lighting brought into the facility was exceptional. After lots of study and collaboration with our architect/builder Ray Fogg Co., we decided to install a large portion of the new warehouse facility with the Core Group Day/Nightlight systems. We anticipated and are realizing significant energy savings and nice natural lighting in this facility. We are continuing to look for new opportunities to implement these systems in our other facilities. We are thankful to Andy and the Core Group for bringing us these innovative solutions for our lighting and energy needs.

Champion: Mike Merle, Fogg Building Methods
Nominated by: Steve Wright
I would like to nominate Mr. Mike Merle, Fogg Building Methods’ Executive Vice President as a Champion of Sustainablitity. Mr. Merle upon learning of Oatey Company’s desire to build a “Green Building” distribution center immediately sought LEEDS training and certification. As the builder, Mr. Merle took the lead in gathering the mountain of statistics required to seek LEEDS certification in cooperation with the Oatey Company. Following Oatey’s desires and Mikes own wishes, the land for the building once a “Brown Field” is now clean again. Mike ensured all LEEDS requirements were followed, and green materials and practices were utilized in construction. The old concrete roadbed was recouped as aggregate for concrete used in the buildings floor. I do not know of another Builder in Cleveland with Fogg Building Methods knowledge and desire to build sustainable buildings.

Champion: Bill Oatey, Oatey Co.
Nominated by: Steve Wright
I would like to nominate Mr. Bill Oatey as a Champion of Sustainability. Mr. Oatey is Vice Chairman of the Oatey Company, a plumbing specialties manufacturer and distributor. Within the Oatey Company, Bill has championed sustainable product research for many years. This is a long arduous task convincing in house research and development managers along with in-house sales managers the benefits of sustainable products. It is in turn as difficult convincing purchasing managers of the short term and long term benefits of such products. However, I recommend that Bill be recognized as a Champion of Sustainability for his direction and leadership insisting upon the Oatey Company’s new Distribution Center completed in 2004 be “Green” and further to be certified by the Green Building Coalition’s LEEDS Certification. And not just any level, but the Silver level. In cooperation with Mike Merle, Fogg Building Methods, the LEEDS Certification is in sight. The Oatey Distribution Center was to my knowledge the first privately owned distribution facility to seek certification. Mr. Oatey displayed a great deal of vision and community Leadership we will all benefit from in the future.